Remarks

I feel keenly, my brethren and sisters, the position that I am called to occupy, and most humbly ask for an interest in your faith and prayers, that the few words that I may speak this afternoon may be spoken under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I am proud that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am proud of my father and my mother and the teachings that they have given me in my youth, and I do hope and trust that these teachings, which I know to be true, may always be ¶

uppermost in my life, because I realize that by obedience unto them I shall gain eternal life. ¶

When Brother Shepherd spoke to us concerning the faith of our fathers, I was proud, too, my brethren and sisters, that my grandparents on my mother's side were pioneers in this valley, that they came here in 1849, and helped to subdue the wilderness, that they were among the early settlers of Lehi and helped to build that place; that later my grandfather was one of those who helped to build up Sanpete County and became the president of the Sanpete Stake of Zion. I rejoice that my father was a pioneer of this state, that he came in the early days and helped to build up this wonderful commonwealth. I rejoice in the faith that he always exhibited, in the Church of Jesus Christ, of the knowledge that he had that this Church taught the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation. I rejoice, too, in the faith that my mother has always exhibited, with other mothers in the Church, in sacrificing the association of her husband, the pleasure and friendship of her sons, by helping them go upon missions whenever they have been called by the Lord, our God. It is a sweet memory to me that faith has been planted in my heart by my parents for I realize that men and women grow old and cannot be with us forever. Our fathers and our mothers cannot always be here to guide us, but the truth, the gospel, that Brother Lillywhite has mentioned can be our guide, can make us free, and obedience to it will lead us back into the presence of our Father in heaven. ¶

The mothers of this Church, in the early days, sacrificed greatly for the advancement of this Church and of God's work. Many a time when the leaders of the Church have been called upon to go forth in the world to present the gospel of life and salvation unto the nations, these mothers have been left behind sick and with little children, some of them even in bed with a newly born babe, my own mother being one of these; but they never said not to go, when their husbands were called to go forth for the work of the Lord. Men went forth in the early days preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ without purse and without scrip, working their way by their own hands from Nauvoo to New York, or to whatever field they were called to labor, chopping wood, in fact, doing anything they could, to get a few cents on the way to pay their fare. They never hesitated when God called them. They never said no, it mattered not what the circumstances were, under which they were placed. I do not believe that that faith is dead, I believe that today the faith of the Latter-day Saints is still that of sacrifice, that they will give of their time, that they will go forth and do God's bidding. I appeal to the young men and the young women here this afternoon to do what they are asked by the bishops of their wards. You cannot expect to gain a reward unless you do the thing that is required of you. You never saw a steam engine run without steam; luke-warm water will not turn the wheels. Neither ¶

will luke-warmness in the Church of God bring to you that joy, that happiness that is ours if we will work. We must love the work of God. ¶

The story is told of the great violinist, Ole Bull, that he loved his violin so well that he took it to bed with him, always had it with him. That love was repaid when he became one of the great masters of that instrument. So our love for the gospel of Jesus Christ should be taken with us always, that whenever we are called we are ready to do and ready to go; that we may be masters of the inclinations and passions that are in us as individuals, that we may control them and go forth, clean, sweet and pure, into the world to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is not a missionary who goes out into the world but that the prayers of his mother and his father ascend to God that he may go forth in humility, be clean and keep himself unspotted from the sins of the world. The Lord has instituted a way for you and for me to keep ourselves clean, and that way is going to our Sacrament meetings, going to the house of God, partaking of the Sacrament, remembering Jesus Christ, who atoned for us that we might come back into his presence. Go there faithfully and listen to the words of the men of God who are sent to give unto us the bread of life. If we do that we are prepared to meet the world, to meet sin, to know it and overcome it. ¶

This gospel which we have obeyed is the power of God unto salvation; there is no doubt of that in my mind. I have often heard President McMurrin, in bearing his testimony to the people in the Tabernacle and in other places, say that he knows that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation; I have that same testimony and I believe that every missionary who has been out in the world, who returns home and strives to do the will of the Lord, will retain the wonderful blessings that are given to him in the testimony that he receives that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that this Church has in it the power of God unto salvation, this gospel that we believe and teach. ¶

We all look forward, the whole world I might say, to the coming again of Jesus Christ upon the earth. We look forward to that time when he shall rule and reign, and if he should come while we are living, my brethren and sisters, are we going to be prepared to meet him? It is a question I ask myself, "Am I ready, so that I would be prepared to meet him, if he came?"We ought to take inventory of ourselves, especially we younger boys and girls in the Church of God, and find out if we are living according to his commandments. If not, we should then turn our lives in that straight and narrow way that will lead us unto God; for he is merciful, loves his children, and has given unto us that wonderful principle of repentance; that we may turn away from our sins, turn away from our evil ways, and gain, through the Lord's mercy a forgiveness of our sins. True it is, that we must have first obeyed the ¶

ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins, by one having authority to perform that ordinance, in order that we may get into the kingdom of God. But the Lord loves his children, and has given us also, the principle of repentance, that we may turn unto him again, as he wants us all to come back. ¶

Brethren and sisters, the Lord could shake this world and bring you and me upon our knees mighty quick, if he desired our return to him in that way. But he does not. He loves us and wants us to have our own free agency; he has given this to us. Even before we came here he gave us our freedom of choice. We chose in heaven whether we would serve him or follow the one who would not obey God's commandments. So we have that free agency now. We may choose good or evil. God wants us to choose the good, because we are his children, and he desires that we may be saved in his kingdom. For that reason he has given us these laws and commandments known as the gospel which is the plan of life and salvation. Whenever God has had a message to deliver to the people of this earth he has always sent his prophets before him. When the cities of the plains were to be destroyed he sent his servants to preach unto them and call them to repentance. So in these days in which we live, God has again sent the gospel message forth as a warning unto all the world before the end shall come. There is a way and only one way of going back into his presence, and that way, we testify to the world in all soberness, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, has been opened by our Father in heaven, through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, that boy who was called in his youth and who remained true to his testimony that he did see God and Jesus Christ, and that the Father spoke unto him, saying, "This is my beloved Son, hear him." The most glorious vision, I believe, that has ever been given in the history of man is this vision of the Almighty God and his Son Jesus Christ showing themselves to this boy, Joseph Smith. ¶

Later angels came unto him and brought the authority of the holy Priesthood of God; because, my brethren and sisters, we know, if we will stop and think for one minute, that unless we have the proper authority, nothing can be done and be valid, whether it be in civil law or religious law. The Lord understood this and sent, to this Prophet, angels bearing the holy Priesthood of God. John the Baptist came on the 15th day of May in 1829, bringing the Aaronic Priesthood and bestowing it upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, giving unto them the right to baptize in the name of God for the remission of sins, giving unto them the keys of the preparatory gospel, also the right of visitation of angels. Some few weeks later, we do not know the exact date, Peter, James and John did come and give unto them the Melchizedek Priesthood, the power of God to act in his name in all the ordinances of life and salvation. In the Historian's Office we have, in the handwriting of Oliver Cowdery, the statement telling the story of John the Baptist's coming, of his ordaining them, and of Joseph and Oliver baptizing each other in turn after they had received the Aaronic Priesthood; and in his writing he states that Peter, James and John did come and confer upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. There is the evidence, if we need it, that the words of this man, this prophet whom we love and revere, are true. Other angels came bringing the keys of the different gospel dispensations -- because this is the gospel dispensation of the fullness of times, in which all others shall be gathered together in one and shall be returned unto God by his Son in completeness. In order to do that there must be other keys given. Some of these keys were given on the third day of April, 1836, just one week after the dedication of the Kirtland temple, which dedication was witnessed by the people there that God approved of that temple. Even people of the city came and wondered what was going on at the dedication of this temple. ¶

On the third day of April, 1836, Oliver Cowdery and the Prophet Joseph Smith went into the temple to pray. As was their custom, when they needed light, whenever they wanted information, they went to God and asked him for it. They went into the temple on this day, and kneeling before the altar were asking God certain things pertaining to this kingdom, when a most glorious vision came unto them, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, appeared standing, as it were, upon a breastwork of gold directly over the altar, and he spoke unto them with a voice sounding as the rushing of great waters, saying: ¶

"I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father. ¶

"Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice. ¶

"Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name. ¶

"For behold I have accepted this house and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house." ¶

A wonderful statement from the Redeemer of the world. After that glorious vision had passed then came Moses the prophet of God, holding the keys of the gathering of all the Tribes of Israel, and he gave those keys to these two men. After that vision had closed, then came Elias, a prophet who lived, we are told, in the days of Abraham. Then, when that vision had closed, came the marvelous vision of Elijah, the prophet of God, of whom Malachi spoke, saying, that he should come before the great and the dreadful day of the Lord, who came giving unto these two men the keys of the sealing power, the keys of sealing the living and also the dead. ¶

It is a wonderful thing, that the Priesthood of God, and all its keys, have been restored to these two men and handed down, my brethren and sisters, by ordination according to the call and direction of our Father in heaven. My testimony is to you that every man, Brigham Young, and all those who have succeeded Joseph ¶

Smith, have received, by the laying on of hands of those in authority, these keys, and that President Grant has them today -- every key necessary to turn the lock that will open the door into the celestial kingdom of God, if we will but obey and keep the teachings of this man who was called of God directly by revelation unto the apostleship, and, I believe firmly, by revelation placed at the head of this Church, and I know holds the keys of this Priesthood. Oh, how we ought to rejoice, as young men and young women, that we may grow up under such a wonderful influence and realize by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who testifies of the Father and the Son, that these things are true. ¶

In all soberness I leave with you my humble testimony that I do know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of the living God, and that all the keys necessary for life and salvation are in this Church. May it be our happy lot, my brethren and sisters, to gain eternal life, God's greatest blessing to man, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus, our Redeemer. Amen. ¶